ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon volleyball team begins its quest for a national championship Thursday, November 29 when it faces crosstown rival Mercyhurst during the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Wheeling Jesuit will serve as the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional host. The Gannon-Mercyhurst contest will be the rivals' second postseason match-up this season after the Lady Knights swept the Lakers during the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Quarterfinals.
NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Overview
Quarterfinals (Thursday, November 29)
12 noon - No. 3 California (Pa.) (28-7) vs. No. 6 Shippensburg (27-11)
2:30 p.m. - No. 2 Gannon (28-5) vs. No. 7 Mercyhurst (25-10)
5 p.m. - No. 4 Clarion (23-11) vs. No. 5 Lock Haven (26-10)
7:30 p.m. - No. 1 Wheeling Jesuit (35-2) vs. No. 8 Fayetteville State (28-5)
Semifinals (Friday, November 30)
5 p.m. - California-Shippensburg winner vs. Gannon-Mercyhurst winner
7:30 p.m. - Clarion-Lock Haven winner vs. WJU-Fayetteville State winner
Championship (Saturday, December 1)
7 p.m. - Semifinal winner #1 vs. Semifinal winner #2
NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Ticket Prices
Per Session
Adults - $10
Students - $5
All-Tournament Passes
Adult - $25
Students - $10
Gannon-Mercyhurst History
Gannon leads the all-time series 35-23. The two teams split the 2012 regular-season series, before the Lady Knights swept the Lakers 3-0 during the PSAC Quarterfinals. The regular season included a Mercyhurst 3-0 sweep at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center on October 9 and a Gannon 3-1 win at the Hammermill Center on November 2. The Lady Knights have won 10 of the last 15 encounters since 2006, including five straight home wins. Thursday's meeting will be the first-ever meeting in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Gannon's sweep in the conference quarterfinals was the first postseason meeting ever between the two programs.
Gannon NCAA Division II Tournament History
Gannon will be making its 10th NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. The Lady Knights will be playing in their fourth consecutive national tournament and can tie the school record for consecutive NCAA berths with another appearance next season. The school record is five from 1991-95. Gannon last won a regional in 1993 when it captured the NCAA Division II East Regional. It was the last of three consecutive regional titles and NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances.
Gannon Lady Knights
Head Coach: Matt Darling (6th season)
Overall Record: 28-5
Final PSAC Record: 17-2
Final PSAC Western Division Regular-Season Standing: 1st place
Final PSAC Tournament Finish: 1st
Final NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Ranking: 2nd
NCAA Division II National Ranking: N/A
Team Leaders (Per Match)
Points: Lauren Sazama - 5.50
Kills: Lauren Sazama - 4.69
Blocks: Sarah Glancy - 0.99
Assists: Megan Wendel - 10.40
Digs: Taryn Graham - 3.88
Aces: Morgan Walters - 0.62
Gannon Team Notes
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Sazama's 2012 resume includes Daktronics All-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Year, PSAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, Daktronics All-Atlantic Region first team, American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Atlantic Region first team and All-PSAC Western Division first team. She is the first volleyball student-athlete in school history to be named a conference or regional player of the year.
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Darling was named 2012 AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and 2012 PSAC Western Division Coach of the Year.
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Kayla Knickerbocker was named 2012 PSAC Western Division Rookie of the Year.
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Wendel and Morgan Reineke were named to the 2012 All-PSAC Western Division second team. Wendel was also named to the AVCA All-Atlantic Region honorable-mention squad.
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Gannon's No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Regional represents its highest NCAA Tournament seeding since the early 1990's.
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Gannon won the PSAC Tournament and the PSAC Western Division regular-season crown this season for the first time since joining the conference in 2008.
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The Gannon-Mercyhurst PSAC Quarterfinal Match was Gannon's first postseason home match since 1993. It was the Lady Knights' first postseason win since 2003.
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Gannon has won 12 of its last 13 matches and 23 of its last 26. The Lady Knights have won at least four consecutive matches on five different occasions.
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Gannon has won 12 consecutive matches against PSAC teams. There was a 3-2 road setback during non-conference action at Findlay during that stretch.
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Gannon's 28 overall victories and 17 conference wins both represent the most by a Lady Knight team under head coach Matt Darling.
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Gannon's 28 victories are the most by a Lady Knight team since the 1993 squad went 28-6.
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Gannon has reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth consecutive season. The Lady Knights have appeared in both the PSAC and NCAA Tournaments during each of the last four seasons.
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Gannon ranks 14th among NCAA Division II teams in aces per set (2.11), 19th in won-loss percentage (.848) and 25th in hitting percentage (.245).
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Sazama ranks third among all NCAA Division II players in points per set (5.5), third in kills per set (4.69) and 12th in aces per set (0.58). She was named PSAC Athlete of the Week five times this season, bringing her career total to nine.
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Sazama ranks third all-time at Gannon with 1,388 career digs, needing 53 to break the school record. She also sits fifth all-time in career kills (1,635) and third in career service aces (252). Sazama is eight service aces shy of the school's all-time record.
Mercyhurst Lakers
Head Coach: Ryan Patton (8th season)
Overall Record: 25-10
Final PSAC Record: 12-7
Final PSAC Western Division Standing: 4th place
Final PSAC Tournament Finish: Tied for 5th
NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Ranking: 7th
NCAA Division II National Ranking: N/A
Team Leaders (Per Match)
Points: N/A
Kills: Becky Leusch - 2.63
Blocks: Becky Smith - 1.11
Assists: Kiera Rebert - 7.71
Digs: Elyse Texido - 5.21
Aces: Emily Kainer - 0.36
Mercyhurst Team Notes
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Mercyhurst enters the NCAA Division II Tournament with a 25-10 overall record, representing the highest win total since 1993. The Lakers also posted a 12-7 conference mark, including wins against every team in the Western Division for the first time since joining the PSAC in 2008.
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The Lakers have recorded win streaks of 12 and 11 games this season.
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Texido was named 2012 PSAC Western Division Defensive Player of the Year. She ranks 23rd among all NCAA Division II players in digs per match.
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Smith ranks 31st nationally in blocks per match.
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Leusch and Smith were named to the All-PSAC Western Division second team.
